Agency and Deontic Logic

John Horty

This original new work develops deontic logic against the background of a theory of agency in indeterministic time. The goal is to present a ...

Agency and Deontic Logic

John Horty

Description

John Horty effectively develops deontic logic (the logic of ethical concepts like obligation and permission) against the background of a formal theory of agency. He incorporates certain elements of decision theory to set out a new deontic account of what agents ought to do under various conditions over extended periods of time. Offering a conceptual rather than technical emphasis, Horty's framework allows a number of recent issues from moral theory to be set out clearly and discussed from a uniform point of view.

Agency and Deontic Logic

John Horty

Author Information

John Horty, Professor of Philosophy, University of Maryland

Agency and Deontic Logic

John Horty

Reviews and Awards

"Agency and Deontic Logic represents a major advance in the field, developing fresh ideas for thinking about longstanding internal problems and making significant connections with external areas of research, most notably decision theory and utilitarian ethical theory. Although the book is technically sophisticated, the discussion is exceptionally clear and readable and benefits greatly from numerous examples and diagrams. Agency and Deontic Logic should interest an audience that includes logicians, computer scientists, and those working in decision theory, game theory, and ethics, as well as applications of these disciplines. - Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

This fine book is resource-rich and thought-provoking. I recommend it to all analytic philosophers interested in exploring the implications of a robust indeterminism for consequentialism. It is must reading for those who work on formal approaches to normative reasoning. - Mind

This is an excellent book. It makes an original and important contribution to deontic logic. Anyone interested in formalizing a utilitarian notion of personal and collective obligation ought to consider this book. - Journal of Logic, Language, and Information

Agency and Deontic Logic develops deontic logic against the background of a theory of agency in non-deterministic time. Horty tells a self-contained story without losing momentum by diving into the conceptual and technical details that are met along the way. His formulations are precise and clear, and he takes the time to put forward a wealth of concepts and ideas. We strongly recommend anyone interested in the philosophical and logical aspects of reasoning about oughts, agency, and action to get hold of a copy of this book. - Artificial Intelligence and Law